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Dennis Robbins

 
Artist: Dennis Robbins
Dennis Robbins

Similar Artists:

Billy Hill

Worked With:

Johnny Badanjek, Jim McCarty
  • Active: '80s, '90s
  • Genres: Country
  • Instrument: Slide Guitar, Vocals, Songwriter
  • Representative Albums: "Born Ready
  • Representative Songs: "The Church on Cumberland Road

Biography

A slide guitarist and former member of the Detroit blues-rock band the Rockets, Dennis Robbins also performed with the country-songwriter supergroup Billy Hill; among the songs he wrote were Garth Brooks' "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" and Shenandoah's "Church on Cumberland Road." Robbins was born in Hazelwood, North Carolina, and grew up listening to traditional bluegrass music as well as rock & roll music. He began playing different styles of guitar music as a teen. Following high school, Robbins was a U.S. Marine, and eventually moved to Detroit, where he played in different bands before joining up with the Rockets as a slide guitar player. The band was quite popular and opened for the likes of ZZ Top, Kiss, and Bob Seger. Tiring of touring, Robbins returned to North Carolina and then moved to Nashville, where in 1986 he released his debut solo album The First of Me. His lack of success spurred Robbins to form Billy Hill, which broke up in 1990 after only one album. Soon afterward, he became the first country artist to sign to Giant's new country division. His first single for the label, "Home Sweet Home," became a minor hit, and later appeared on the album Man with the Plan (1992). ~ Sandra Brennan & Brian Mansfield, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Dennis Robbins
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Dennis Robbins
Background information
Origin Hazelwood, North Carolina, United States
Genre(s) Country
Rock
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s) Vocals
Electric guitar
Slide guitar
Years active 1983-1994
Label(s) NSD
MCA
Reprise
Giant
Associated acts Billy Hill
Garth Brooks
Shenandoah

Dennis Robbins (born in Hazelwood, North Carolina[1]) is an American musician who first made himself known as a guitarist in the band The Rockets. After his departure from The Rockets, he began a career in country music, recording two major-label albums and several singles of his own, in addition to writing hit singles for Shenandoah and Garth Brooks.

Contents

Biography

Dennis Robbins was born in Hazelwood, North Carolina. He learned to play guitar while in his teens, taking his influences from both rock & roll and bluegrass. After a brief stint in the United States Marine Corps, he moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he found work in several bands before joining a group known as The Rockets.

After retiring from The Rockets, Robbins moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he was signed to MCA in 1986, recording his debut album First of Me that year.[1] Later the same year, he founded the supergroup Billy Hill with songwriters Bob DiPiero and John Scott Sherrill. This group recorded one album on Reprise Records and charted three singles before disbanding in 1990.[1] The three members of Billy Hill also co-wrote "The Church on Cumberland Road", a Number One single for Shenandoah in early 1989.

Solo career

Giant Records, a subsidiary label of Warner, opened a country music branch in 1990 as well, and Robbins was the first act signed to this newly-formed division.[1] Also that year, he contributed to another Number One single, when Garth Brooks topped the country music charts with "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" (which Robbins himself had charted with three years previous).[1][2]

Robbins' second album overall, Man with a Plan, was issued in 1992. Included on it was the single "Home Sweet Home", his only solo Top 40 hit on the country charts. Also found on this album was his own rendition of "I Am Just a Rebel", as well as the track "Paris, Tennessee", which was later cut by both Kenny Chesney and Tracy Lawrence. A second album for Giant, Born Ready, was issued in 1994, producing one more chart single. He has not recorded any albums since.

Discography

Albums

Year Album
1986 The First of Me
  • Label: MCA Records
1992 Man with a Plan
  • Label: Giant Records
1994 Born Ready
  • Label: Giant Records

Singles

Year Single Chart Positions Album
US Country CAN Country
1983 "If I Could Get Over You" Single only
1986 "Hard Lovin' Man"
"The First of Me" The First of Me
"Long Gone Lonesome Blues" 63 Single only
1987 "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" 71
1989 "I Can't Help Myself"
1990 "Nickel to My Name"
"No Chance to Dance"
"Blue Angel"
1992 "Home Sweet Home" 34 73 Man with a Plan
"My Side of Town" 59
1993 "Mona Lisa on Cruise Control" 68 Born Ready
1994 "Walking on the Edge"

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Brennan, Sandra; Brian Mansfield. "Dennis Robbins biography". Allmusic. http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jzfrxqq5ldje~T1. Retrieved 2007-12-29. 
  2. ^ Joyce, Mike (1992-07-03). "Dennis Robbins, Sliding By". The Washington Post. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1013703.html. Retrieved 2007-12-29. 

External links


 
 
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Artist. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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